Escape
by ProjectManhattan
Summary: Takes place right after "Frame." A suffering Goren has a proposition for Eames. Slightly B/A, and much fluffier than I usually write.


After Declan's speech, Goren did not move. He simply sat motionlessly with his elbows leaning on the metal table and his forehead in his hands. His partner now stood behind him with her arms crossed. She knew Goren would not want her to see him here, him at his worst, wouldn't want her to see whatever excruciating and grief-stricken expression adorned his face, but she stood as near as possible anyway in order to give him what little support she could.

Eames, typically so strong and steadfast and sardonic, was doing her best not to let just how choked up she was show. The anger she'd felt at her partner for him turning his back on her after she'd sacrificed so much for him, the resentment for her being treated as second best for so many years, the ingratitude she perceived at having all of her hard work met with little to no recognition- none of those things mattered right now. They'd practically evaporated. Here was the man she had worked with for eight years sitting quietly, most of his blood relatives dead and in fact better off that way, having yet another father figure in his eyes perverted and made virtually unbearable.

After several minutes of Declan continuing to spout violent nonsense mingled with twisted praise, it seemed Bobby had shut down and did not wish to move. Ross sent someone in, and the man Goren had learned so much from was removed from the room to be transferred to a holding cell by a police officer in uniform. Declan exited quietly, turning once as he left to give Goren a last loving and fatherly and smile.

Another long group of minutes went by, now with Goren and Eames alone in the room. Bobby's breathing was uneven and he continued staring down at the table. Eames couldn't stand it any longer. She decided to break the silence.

"Bobby, I'm so sorry."

Goren nodded slowly, still not looking at Eames.

"He was right, though, Bobby, about you doing your best for them. What happened, everything that has happened, none of it has ever been your fault. I'm sorry about what I said before. I didn't know."

He didn't move for perhaps a full minute. Just as Eames began to wonder if saying all of that was a mistake, Goren stood up abruptly, nearly knocking the chair (and Eames) over. Eames was tempted to take a step back, but instead raised her head to look at Goren. He stared at her, for a moment expressionless, then his eyebrows furrowed and his bottom lip contorted and his arms shot out around her. Before she could react, he had her small form in a bear hug.

Goren was shaking, trying not to shudder or sob, obviously on the verge of completely breaking down. Eames seemed to anchor him there, away from the edge. Even though his actions had taken her completely off guard and it was more than awkward for her to be this close to her partner, Eames didn't physically push Goren away. She figured that with Bobby this was nothing sexual, but rather him just needing human contact to bring him back to stability. After Goren stopped shaking and seemed to be regaining his composure, though, it was a bit too much. Eames cleared her throat.

He let her go.

Goren then ran his hands back through his hair, trying to wipe his eyes as subtly as he could, then mumbled something.

"What, Bobby?" asked Eames gently.

He blinked a couple of times, then put his hands in his pockets.

"Would you like to go on a vacation?"

"A vacation?"

"I think, Eames, I think and I hope that it's over now, but I just can't stand to be around here. It's..." he looked around the cold room shuddered. "It's stagnant and it's oppressive. I think it would help me a little, I think that I need to get out. I don't want to live like I did during my suspension. Eames..." he paused, "Alex, I think that I need to, I, uh, I _think_ that-" He looked away from her for a moment, then back. "-that I need to get away. And I _know_ that you, you're the only... You, you're all that, that I, uh, Eames, you..."

"Bobby, I-"

"You don't, you don't have to! I, uh, I'm so grateful, Eames, and sorry. You, you stuck by me, right? Even when you were pissed off at me, and, and I made an ass of myself, with you and Rogers, I just... Of course, if you don't want to, Eames, you don't have to."

He was trying so hard. Desperation in despair, perhaps. Maybe Bobby was going a little mad with grief, yet his eyes were so pleading. He held a very real expression, one that made clear how much and how immediately he needed her.

"Anywhere?" she asked, trying to figure out exactly what he was asking and offering.

"Doesn't matter. Not in the slightest. A luxury suite, or some tacky hotel, a beach somewhere, or, hell, a casino, or we could, uh, could just rent a convertible and drive with the top down for a while, a long while... oh, Eames, I'm sorry about grabbing you earlier, too. I just, uh, I just needed-"

"It's fine."

"I just-"

"Fine, Bobby." Eames took the pause in his nervous apology to consider his offer. She reached her conclusion quickly.

"Piña coladas and the dunes of the cape, huh?"

Bobby nodded, his eyes still red. "Sure."

Eames couldn't help but think about what Declan had said about Goren being freed, but she did not utter a word about it. She didn't say anything about her idea that Ross would not be happy with Major Case's leading team taking a long break, either, figuring she was resourceful enough to find a way to convince him to let Bobby have an escape from his broken down life, if only for a little while.


End file.
